A slumber did my spirit seal by William Wordsworth Question Paper for practice 40 Marks

 A slumber did my spirit seal by William Wordsworth Question Paper for practice 40 Marks

 

Section A: Reading Comprehension (10 marks)

Read the extract below and answer the questions that follow.

"A slumber did my spirit seal;
I had no human fears:
She seemed a thing that could not feel
The touch of earthly years."

1. What does the phrase “spirit seal” signify in the poem? (2 marks)
2. How does the poet describe the subject's connection to time? (2 marks)
3. Identify and explain the figure of speech in the line, “The touch of earthly years.” (3 marks)
4. What emotions does the poet convey in this stanza? Use textual evidence to support your answer. (3 marks)

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Section B: Short Answer Questions (20 marks)

Answer the following questions in 30–40 words each.

1. Explain the transformation in the poet’s perception of life and death as presented in the poem. (3 marks)
2. How does Wordsworth use nature to convey the permanence of death? (3 marks)
3. What role does the theme of immortality play in the poem? Provide an example from the text. (3 marks)
4. Why is the tone of the poem described as melancholic? Give two reasons. (3 marks)
5. Discuss the poetic devices Wordsworth uses to create imagery in the poem. (3 marks)
6. In your opinion, what is the central idea of the poem? Support your answer with references to the text. (5 marks)

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Section C: Long Answer Questions (10 marks)

Answer the following question in 100–120 words.

1. The poem "A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal" reflects Wordsworth’s deep connection to nature and his philosophical outlook on life and death. Discuss how the poet portrays these ideas in the poem. Support your answer with examples from the text. (5 marks)
2. Compare and contrast the mood of the two stanzas in the poem. How does Wordsworth use language to shift the tone? Explain with examples. (5 marks)

 

 

 

 

 

Answers to the Question Paper

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Section A: Reading Comprehension (10 Marks)

1. What does the phrase “spirit seal” signify in the poem? (2 marks)
The phrase "spirit seal" signifies a deep emotional numbness or detachment that has overtaken the poet. It reflects a state of dream-like ignorance where the poet is unaware of the harsh realities of life, such as death.

2. How does the poet describe the subject's connection to time? (2 marks)
The poet describes the subject as being unaffected by the passage of time. She seems immortal, untouched by the physical changes brought about by “earthly years.”

3. Identify and explain the figure of speech in the line, “The touch of earthly years.” (3 marks)
The figure of speech is personification. Time is personified as having a "touch," implying that it has the power to affect or age someone. However, the subject is portrayed as being immune to this influence.

4. What emotions does the poet convey in this stanza? Use textual evidence to support your answer. (3 marks)
The poet conveys emotions of awe and a sense of timelessness. The lines “She seemed a thing that could not feel / The touch of earthly years” express the poet’s belief in the subject’s eternal, unchanging nature.

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Section B: Short Answer Questions (20 Marks)

1. Explain the transformation in the poet’s perception of life and death as presented in the poem. (3 marks)
Initially, the poet is detached and unaware of mortality, believing the subject to be timeless. However, in the second stanza, he accepts her death as a part of nature’s eternal cycle, marking his shift to a more philosophical view of life and death.

2. How does Wordsworth use nature to convey the permanence of death? (3 marks)
Wordsworth integrates the subject with natural elements, stating that she has become a part of the earth, rocks, and trees. This shows the permanence of death and the cyclical nature of life.

3. What role does the theme of immortality play in the poem? Provide an example from the text. (3 marks)
The theme of immortality is central to the first stanza, where the poet believes the subject is unaffected by time. The line “She seemed a thing that could not feel the touch of earthly years” reflects this belief.

4. Why is the tone of the poem described as melancholic? Give two reasons. (3 marks)
The tone is melancholic because:

1. The poet laments the death of the subject.
2. The shift from awe in the first stanza to sorrow in the second conveys a deep sense of loss.

5. Discuss the poetic devices Wordsworth uses to create imagery in the poem. (3 marks)
Wordsworth uses personification (“The touch of earthly years”), alliteration (“rolled round”), and vivid imagery (“She neither hears nor sees”) to evoke a sense of permanence and connection to nature.

6. In your opinion, what is the central idea of the poem? Support your answer with references to the text. (5 marks)
The central idea is the inevitability of death and the continuity of life through nature. The poet reflects on how the subject, after death, becomes one with the natural world, as seen in the line “Rolled round in earth’s diurnal course.”

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Section C: Long Answer Questions (10 Marks)

1. The poem "A Slumber Did My Spirit Seal" reflects Wordsworth’s deep connection to nature and his philosophical outlook on life and death. Discuss how the poet portrays these ideas in the poem. (5 marks)
Wordsworth uses the poem to explore the relationship between humanity and nature. Initially, the poet is unaware of mortality, but the second stanza reveals his acceptance of death as a natural process. By integrating the subject into nature—"Rolled round in earth’s diurnal course, with rocks, and stones, and trees"—he portrays death not as an end but as a transformation. This reflects his belief in the permanence of nature and the cyclical nature of life.

2. Compare and contrast the mood of the two stanzas in the poem. How does Wordsworth use language to shift the tone? Explain with examples. (5 marks)
The first stanza is dream-like and optimistic, as the poet is unaware of mortality, describing the subject as untouched by time. Words like “slumber” and “spirit seal” convey this mood.
In contrast, the second stanza is somber and realistic, acknowledging death. Words like “rolled round” and “rocks, stones, and trees” highlight the subject’s integration into nature. This shift in tone is achieved through changes in imagery and diction.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Slumber did my Spirit Seal

By William Wordsworth

A slumber did my spirit seal;

I had no human fears:

She seemed a thing that could not feel

The touch of earthly years.

 

No motion has she now, no force;

She neither hears nor sees;

Rolled round in earth's diurnal course,

With rocks, and stones, and trees.